


Can I borrow your Rofjinn?

by Lolapop861



Category: Mass Effect (Comics), Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect - Various Authors, Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alien Character(s), Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Flora & Fauna, Alien Planet, Alien/Human Relationships, Developing Friendships, F/M, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Love Confessions, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24055648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lolapop861/pseuds/Lolapop861
Summary: Sara awakens from cryosleep, six hundred years away from Earth and the citadel.Her father died, and his brother Scott took his place as the Pathfinder.The first attempt at awakening her had failed and doctors had urged Sara into a medically induced coma.Her cryogenic cell had undergone irreversible damages, and Sara could not endure her journey.Once she wakes up, the need to fully recover and the disagreement with her brother, too busy in the Pathfinder mission and the responsibilities that arise with it, lead Sara to take a break.Sara chooses Aya, and that's where she knows Jaal, the nutritious angaran paste, the resistance, the paripo fruit, and so much more.Sara never thought of meeting her lucky Love in another galaxy light-years away.Yet fate seems to have other plans for her.The novelty and loneliness, the desire for closeness, and new friendships will bring Sara to the presence of Love.Who will it be?
Relationships: Jaal Ama Darav & Ryder, Jaal Ama Darav/Female Ryder | Sara, Jaal Ama Darav/Ryder
Kudos: 8





	1. Sabay - The Awakening of Sara

**Author's Note:**

> Sadly, English is not my native tongue, so you will inevitably encounter many errors.  
> This is my very first time writing fiction, and I hope to learn from critiques and positive comments soon.  
> Thanks so much.  
> Enjoy the reading!

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The sound of a machine. 

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Finally, the air that creeps into her, from her nostrils to her lungs filling with oxygen.

Sara awoke with a start, suddenly receptive and dumbstruck inside the hyper-sleep capsule. The moment she returned to consciousness, a new jolt knocked her against the transparent dome. When Sara fell back, her nose bled. The impact had been so violent as to make her fear that she had suffered a concussion. In stunning, the automatisms learned during training made up for the uncertainty of analytical thinking. The fingers of her right hand, still partially insensitive to the prolonged stasis of hyper-sleep, flare clutched the buttons of the internal keyboard of the capsule. The cold and the edges of the freezer, with its rigid surfaces and the pitiless lighting that filtered through the dome, wiped out the dreamlike sensations of heat, safety, and love. 

Was she even alive? 

Startled by months of hibernation and harsh awakening, the woman tried to find her habit in the cockpit. And in reality. 

The awakening from the sleep should not have had interfering outcomes. Yet, Sara felt herself coughing, unable to find her balance. 

"Sara? Sara, can you hear me?!" The tone was persistent but precise, a clear sign that she was entirely awake and not in one of her dreams. The woman, an Asari, wore the classic Nexus nurse suit. 

"Someone calls the Pathfinder! Tell him she's awake." It was those words that smacked her, and despite the severe headache, Sara managed, with a single blow, to sit down. She still had her sight tarnished and, perhaps, she was even half unconscious. 

"Easy! Don't push yourself. You just woke up!" said a man, which she supposed to be a doctor of the Initiative. 

"I had 600 years to rest. I'm fine now," Sara said.

"Sara Ryder, Pathfinder team..." The nurse was typing something on her datapad when a sense of fascination and surprise caught her unaware. 

"Oh, right? You're the Pathfinder's sister!" 

"You're talking about my brother, Scott?" Sara twisted to look towards the door of what must have been the infirmary. "Scott, where is he?" Sara asked. 

"He's the one in command to find us a home! I still hope in a nice warm place, with a beautiful beach..." the woman said.

"All right, all right, that's enough!" The doctor had interrupted the nurse chit-chat almost immediately and had beckoned her to help him lifting Sara from the bed. Her legs quivered annoyingly, and she sensed a tingling invade her body. She thought it was normal since her body had been lying asleep for approximately six centuries. 

"How about a nice coffee to put some strength back?" 

"That's what I was thinking about!" Sara replied.

She was taken immediately to the infirmary, where someone would visit her more accurately. She had exchanged a few greetings and crossed a few sleepy glances in the lobby, then framed an empty and cozy cot where to sit.

Hours went by, and finally, somebody had delivered her a great cup of steaming coffee. She still couldn't believe it: while she was asleep, the Scourge had hit the Hyperion. Scott had told her in her nightmare that the ship's sensors had failed to detect it in time, and for this reason, the Scourge went unnoticed until it hit the ark. The impact had been violent.

That hot drink had Sara absorbed between a sip and a look at a giant screen. It was transmitting photographs of what would be one of her family homes when an Asari woman hurriedly arrived at her bedside.

"Sara, your brother is-" Her patience was over.

"Where is him? It's been hours! Tell me where Scott is or I swear-" The words came out of her mouth in a whisper, as if her trembling lips could not hold back all the adrenaline Sara had in her body.

Looking away from the Asari woman, Sara spotted her brother's dark brown hair and brown complexion.

"What's the problem?" He barely glanced at her before sitting down next to her. He was so different, he seemed to have grown, his beard had just started to grow, and his eyes were dark in his face, almost hopeless.

"Well, you never came by. Technicians found a way to connect our implant. We could have talked."

"Hold on a sec. Your brother has been busy." the woman said.

"Too busy, to tell me dad was dead. Too busy to check up on family."

Scott was speechless, although he was near, sitting by her side. She had been as sure of wanting to kill him as he had seemed hesitant and clumsy.

"Sorry if I didn't come to you first." He said. "I had some stuff too, you know... Affairs to solve." In the light of the lamps embedded into the ceiling, the armor her brother carried sent a glow that blinded her eyes. "I know this isn't an excuse, but so much has gone wrong, Sara. So many lives are depending on me. I guess I got caught up and-"

"Let me guess. You saw a treasure map, and then it was Sara who?"

"No, it was more like Sara sleeps till lunch most days anyway, I'll visit her later."

"Oh, that's how you're going to play it." She felt her stomach tighten in a vise and was overwhelmed by a panic that she could not control, which made her fall in terror. 

"It's down to us. You know, mom went first, then dad..." Sara didn't smile, she didn't react, and her brother's tone returned to normal, almost formal.

"I know there aren't enough words to say it, but I'm deeply sorry. Our father was a true leader. We have had our misunderstandings, but I have always respected his decisions. It has been an honor to serve under his command." Scott leaned out of his chair and lowered his voice again. In his tactless way, he tried to reassure her, but he was also honest. Scott and their father, Alec, never got along very well. 

"I'm not losing you too. We're all we have." She nodded too quickly, and a lock of hair fell on her forehead. Scott, without overthinking, pushed it away.

"What's this story I hear about you being the Pathfinder?"

"It was Dad's idea." 

"Well, as soon as I-" Sara put her feet on the ground and tried to get up, but the sudden movement made her dizzy. Her legs did not support her, and she had to hold herself so as not to fall.

"Careful!" Her brother had sprung to his feet with both arms outstretched in an attempt to help her. Within seconds another Asari entered the room. The doctor came in silently. Her face wrinkled with worry, she took the datapad and studied it. She turned to Sara, her voice reduced to a whisper. "No way are you fit for duty, Miss. You need a chance to mend."

"Yeah, says, who?!"

"The Pathfinder. That's who! Time to rest up. And that's an order, specialist Ryder." 

"Pulling rank already? Better you hope I never tell anyone about that year you only ate paste. Was it first grade? Or, maybe it was second?"

"Take a few days off," he said stubbornly. "You have to sleep, rest, and you'll be better!"

"No, thank you." Sara replied, "I prefer to keep me busy."

"I didn't ask you for an opinion." Her brother's words were brusque, although Scott had tried to moderate his expression. "Just, please, do what I tell you for once!"

Sara was dumbfounded. Under normal circumstances, she would have counterattacked him, even opposing his orders. However, at that moment, she did not have the strength to do it.

Discerning her stunned grimace, Scott felt compelled to give her at least a plausible clarification. "I am now the Pathfinder," he reminded her, "I am responsible for the lives and well-being of all the people on the Nexus, including you. I did not demand to find myself in this condition, and I will also need your support." As always, his gaze was lost in the void, where she could not reach him. The two brothers had always been very close. Since losing their mother six centuries earlier, Scott had stopped communicating with her.

"Just two days, okay?" He smiled at her revealing perfectly white teeth. Like the others, he wore a shaved head - with a scar in the middle - and a short beard. He had the attitude of a warrior.

"Now, I'll let you rest." Scott got up abruptly, turned his back on her, and left the infirmary, going to join the Tempest's crew.


	2. Tef - A Day on the Nexus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara needs to know what happened to her father the day he died. Despite the demands of SAM, who now is in her head, our heroine decides to leave her pajamas on the floor and go elsewhere to find the answers she needs. Since the time of rest is over, Sara decides that it's time to venture aboard the Nexus. That's how she learns of the riots aboard the station, through the militia commander, Kandros. She then stumbles upon the infamous Dr. Addison, the fearsome officer of the Operative Center. Finally, Sara reaches her father's rooms, where, in the name of beautiful memories from the past, Sara will find the strength to go on and leave the past behind.  
> That's how her journey begins.  
>   
> I hope the reading is smooth, and I also hope you enjoy this chapter!

### Chapter Two: Tef - The Nexus 

The next day Sara had been awakened by a loud hustle coming from the cot next to her. A patient had just been discharged, and voices had drawn her from the dream world.

She had slept little and stayed awake most of the night thinking about her brother's words and how he had vanished when he had to return to the Tempest. She was aware Scott had finally found his place inside the universe: he had something to do, something to deal with. And while her brother was wandering around unknown planets, she had just awakened from a long hibernation, stuck in a hospital bed, dying from boredom.

  
Her body was sore from the long stasis period, and Sara felt the need to try to move. When she realized her brain had begun to send pulses all over her body, Sara walked out of her bed.  
She was still wearing the same uniform she woke up in the previous day. Her hair was messy, and the tail she used to tie her long brown hair had softened. She was still shocked by her sudden awakening and felt that she would vomit if she didn't get up to take a walk.

  
Distracted and absorbed in her thoughts, suddenly, a voice spoke to her.  
"Good morning, Sara. Slept well?" A robotic voice invaded Sara's body, from head to toe, and she almost got scared. A shiver hit her back, but she breathed a long sigh of awareness when she realized who it was.

  
"Hi, SAM. I'm fine, but I'd be even better if you weren't in my ear chatting." Sara had forgotten that she had a voice in her head, the same one as her brother. She didn't like the feeling of being watched continuously by that artificial intelligence. SAM was her father's invention, and she remembered how her father's device had been so acclaimed. Even the implant that was aboard the Nexus was the same one her father had created back on the Citadel.

  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to cause your heart rate to accelerate. Apart from that, I'm checking your vitals are normal."

  
"I'm feeling good. I think I'll go for a walk around." Sara was searching for some new clothes to change in. Usually, after the settlers awakened, somebody would have delivered it.

  
"If you're searching for your luggage, it is still in the Hyperion hangar. It will take a couple of hours for someone to pick it up."

  
"Damn it!" She asked the nurse who had just brought her breakfast if she could tell her about her belongings. The woman immediately took care of it, even if she did not know how long it would take to track down her backpack. Due to the various problems they had faced in the last ten months, chaos reigned aboard the Nexus.

  
"I told you, It will take some time."

  
"Shut up, SAM!" she cried, and the artificial intelligence immediately died down.

After eating her breakfast, Sara walked out of the room where they had relegated her. She did not pay attention to the pleas of her implant, which begged her to stay in bed to recover her strength. Even if her legs trembled imperceptibly, Sara managed to leave that place. Without being seen, she had swerved away from the infirmary. Avoiding the pavilion, where millions of settlers spent their time, she descended the steps towards less crowded areas. It was still early, but life aboard the Nexus was already soothing. There were already technicians and guards at work, janitors with datapads in hand, nurses, and doctors who were always moving from room to room.

  
As she walked with her nose up, noting how significant the Nexus was, Sara found herself by accident near the tram station. In the distance, Sara saw the stairs leading to the military quarters, and not far away, a big Turian had eyed her with a dark face.

  
"I can't believe it... You're awake." He walked toward her. Sara passed by, pretending not to have seen him, but the Turian put his hand on her shoulder to pull her back and spoke to her as if they were longtime friends. "I'm Tiran Kandros. I lead our militia on the Nexus." He held out his hand, which Sara squeezed slightly: his fingers were hard and callous.

  
"I'm Sara Ryder, part of the Pathfinder team." That Turian had nothing soft and looked so on edge all the time.

  
"I know who you are. The Pathfinder has informed me about you."

  
"Oh, really? "Sara was pleasantly surprised by that unexpected revelation about her brother.

  
"I'm sorry for the confusion. We're still recovering." His voice was deep, punctuated by a well-chosen vocabulary. You could see he was a soldier; he had the posture of someone who is never caught unprepared: well straight back, broad shoulders, and muscular legs.

  
"Recovering? From what? Aside from the confusion, Everything seems fine here." Sara looked around as if she wanted to make it clear that she understood the situation in which the Nexus was. She had already registered and studied every single corner onboard the space station. She wanted to appear ready, and she tried to look as experienced as he was.

  
"You weren't there when the settlers mutinied us. Since then, the problems have multiplied. But luckily, the Pathfinder has arrived, and now, there's also you!" Kandros stood in front of Sara as if he was facing a hero. His eyes were bright, shiny, full of what seemed to be hope. Maybe he thought her name was a guarantee, but he didn't know she was flesh and blood, too. She wasn't as good with guns as she was with words, and her mind lit only in front of archaeological finds, not in front of fights and destruction.  
Everyone always mistook her for the prodigy she wasn't, and Sara had always felt crushed by all that hope others placed in her. And this time, she understood it would not have been different.

  
"I'm sensing an increase in serotonin levels in your body, Sara." Sam's voice hit her like a slap in the face, causing her to reenter reality.

  
"Have I slept that long?" she asked, looking away from Kandros and focusing on her toes. She perceived that her cheeks were gradually reddening.

  
"You have slept for six hundred years and 57 consecutive days," Sam spoke and got involved in the conversation, but Sara didn't pay much attention.

  
"Yeah, but you're not the last of the settlers to have woken up. There are still many capsules that need to be opened." Kandros replied: his ravenous eyes were slowly fading.

  
"I'm curious, tell me about these problems you had here aboard the Nexus. I'm a little behind on the news." Sara didn't know what those people had had to overcome during the last difficult times. And since she had a lot of time, she would have asked questions around and found out herself the events of the previous few months. She wouldn't have wait for her brother to have some time off to visit her and tell her his version of events. She wanted details, and she wanted them now.

  
"We've been stuck in the unknown space without having any news of you, or the other arks. When our sensors told us an ark had arrived, we didn't believe it. Heleus is notorious for scrambling equipment. We thought you were just another malfunction."

  
"But weren't you expecting us?"

  
"You're the first ark we've seen. After a year of waiting and no sign of the others, we shuttered this area and stopped looking."

  
"You've been stranded for a whole year?" Sara was shocked. It didn't have to be easy to be stuck a whole year in an unknown space with the Kett threat.

  
"Longer than a year, actually. I'll fill you in on the way to the Operative Center. A lot of people will want to see you."

  
"They shouldn't see me like this. I should be in bed right now!"

  
"Come on, Ryder! We should get on the tram."

Kandros walked toward the track. Sara followed him, and when the doors opened wide, she got on the tram. She sat down next to the control panel of the traffic management system. The track was headed for the Nexus operations center.

  
"Everything that could go wrong with our plan has gone entirely bad. We arrived fourteen months ago. Right away, we hit a band of dark energy that knocked us off course." Sara sat down but saw that Kandros remained standing. He was so much taller than her that to see him, she had to recline her head.

  
"You talking about the Scourge?"

  
"Exactly. We lost the whole sections of the station. A lot of people died. No power, no food. The chaos went on for months. It finally led to an armed rebellion. When order was restored, the insurgents were banished. "Exiles," as we like to call them." He chuckled slightly, in his steady attitude and with his hands clenched.

  
"Are things back to normal?" Sara looked out the window, the tram moving quickly across the transport line. Outside it was dark, and from inside the vehicle, you could not sense the speed at which the tram was traveling.

  
"Not even close. But you and your brother are here now, so maybe the worst is over."

  
"No word from other Pathfinders?"

  
"No word from anyone."

When the tram reached its stop, Kandros, who had been staying all the trip, got out first. Sara followed him.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter.  
> I wanted to conceive a less stereotypical brotherhood and give that scent of truthfulness and realism to interpersonal relationships between the characters, that lacked in the game.  
> What do you think about it?  
> Do you have any ideas?  
> Let me know in the comments.  
> Thank you, again.


End file.
